Judge Pledges Speedy Resolution to TennCare Case

AP

NASHVILLE (AP) – A federal judge has pledged a speedy resolution in a 13-year-old class-action lawsuit over care for the 750,000 children on TennCare.

District Judge Thomas Wiseman Jr. was given the case after allegations of improper behavior by two prior judges. The suit has stalled through years of appeals and disagreements.

On Wednesday, Wiseman told lawyers for both sides to take a day to come up with a plan of action.

If they can't agree on how the case will proceed, Wiseman said he was inclined to void parts of a 1998 legal agreement that sets up complex standards governing how medical care for TennCare children is to be provided.

A trial on unresolved issues could then start in as little as two weeks.